Parliamentary Questions (Hansard, 27 January 2000)

§ Mr. Oaten
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many questions to his Department tabled for ordinary written answer during Session 1998–99 were answered(a) within two weeks of tabling, (b) within one month of tabling, (c) within three months of tabling and (d) after three months of tabling. [106489]

§ Mr. Timms
The information is as follows(a) 1,170; (b) 1,245; (c) 1,286 and (d) none.

§ Mr. Oaten
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many questions to his Department tabled for written answer on a named day during Session 1998–99 were answered(a) on or before a named day, (b) within one week of a named day, (c) within one month of a named day, (d) within three months of a named day and (e) after three months of a named day. [106482]
266W

§ Mr. Timms
The information is as follows(a) 288; (b) 665; (c) 780; (d) 813; and (e) none.

§ Mr. Oaten
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many questions to his Department were tabled for written answer during session 1998–99; and how many of these he replied to(a) by means of a letter placed in the Library rather than by substantive answer in the Official Report, (b) by stating that a substantive answer could not be given due to information not being held centrally and (c) by stating that a substantive answer could not be given due to disproportionate cost. [106485]

§ Mr. Timms
2,099 written questions were tabled to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1998–99.
The other information sought by the hon. Member is not held in an accessible form. However, Treasury Ministers seldom reply to Parliamentary questions by letter rather than by substantive answer printed in the Official Report, and would normally do so only in the case of questions tabled shortly before the Summer Recess or Prorogation which could not be answered before the House rose.